title: The impact on the workload of the Ward Manager with the introduction of administrative assistants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact on the workload of the Ward Manager (WM) with the introduction of administrative assistants into eight trusts in the South of England in a year-long pilot.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Ward Managers are nurse leaders who are responsible for ward management and delivering expert clinical care to patients. They have traditionally been expected to achieve this role without administrative assistance. Meeting the workload demands of multiple roles and overload has meant the leadership and clinical role has suffered, presenting issues of low morale among existing WMs and issues of recruiting the next generation of WMs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty qualitative interviews were carried out with 16 WMs, 12 Ward Manager Assistants (WMAs), and six senior nurse executives about the impact of the introduction of the WMA post. Quantitative data to measure change in WM workload and ward activity was supplied by 24 wards.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ward Managers reported spending reduced time on administrative tasks and having increased time available to spend on the ward with patients and leading staff. With the introduction of WMAs, there was also improvement in key performance measures (the maintenance of quality under service pressures) and increased staff motivation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was overwhelming support for the introduction of administrative assistants from participating WMs. The WMAs enabled WMs to spend more time with patients and, more widely, to provide greater support to ward teams. The success of the pilot is reflected in wards working hard to be able to extend contracts of WMAs. The extent of the success is reflected in wards that were not participants in the pilot, observing the benefits of the post, having worked to secure funding to recruit their own WMAs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The widespread introduction of administrative assistance could increase ward productivity and provide support for clinical leaders. Continuing professional development for WMs needs to incorporate training about management responsibilities and how to best use administrative support.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Education, Health and Social Care, The University of Winchester, Winchester, UK. rachel.locke@winchester.ac.uk
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Locke
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leach
authors.forename: Fleur
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kitsell
authors.forename: Jacki
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Griffith
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D007857:Leadership; D009013:Morale; D009042:Motivation; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009745:Nursing, Supervisory; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D010865:Pilot Projects; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013192:Staff Development; D006113:United Kingdom; D016526:Workload